1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to manufacturing a component and in particular to manufacturing composite components. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for creating tools to manufacturing composite components.
2. Background
Aircraft are being designed and manufactured with greater and greater percentages of composite materials. Some aircraft may have more than fifty percent of its primary structure made from composite materials. Composite materials are used in aircraft to decrease the weight of the aircraft. This decreased weight improves performance features, such as payload capacities and fuel efficiencies. Further, composite materials provide longer service life for various components in an aircraft.
Composite materials are tough, light-weight materials, created by combining two or more dissimilar components. For example, a composite may include fibers and resins. The fibers and resins are combined and cured to form a composite material.
Further, by using composite materials, portions of an aircraft may be created in larger pieces or sections. For example, a fuselage in an aircraft may be created in cylindrical sections that may be put together to form the fuselage of the aircraft. Other examples include, for example, without limitation, wing sections joined to form a wing or stabilizer sections joined to form a stabilizer.
Composite components are typically created by laying up composite materials on a tool. This tool provides a form for the shape of the composite component. Composite materials are laid up on the tool in the shape of the composite component. Thereafter, the composite materials are cured. This curing process typically involves the use of heat and in some cases, heat and pressure.
The tools used to create the composite components are relatively expensive to create. As a result, when composite components are needed in short runs or limited quantities, the cost for these components are often greater than for composite components that are needed in larger numbers.